1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a security device for combination with a golf club bag, for the purpose of locking golf clubs within the golf club bag to prevent theft of the golf clubs. More particularly, the security device of the invention comprises two semi-circular half shells, designed to fit over the top of a golf bag, which can be locked together and onto the golf bag, safely retaining a set of golf clubs within the security device.
2. Prior Art
Theft of golf clubs from unattended golf bags at public golf courses or country clubs has unfortunately been a not uncommon occurence through the years. Various devices have been designed to prevent the unauthorized removal of golf clubs from a golf bag under such circumstances, with varying degrees of success and convenience. Various covers designed to fit over the mouth of a golf bag and completely envelop the golf clubs within, with the cover locking in some manner to prevent unauthorized access, are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,570,510 (McQuirk); 1,928,922 (Adams); and 1,908,998 (Mullins). Such devices are generally cloth or leather, and can be easily cut open to allow ready removal of golf clubs, and do not hold the golf clubs themselves securely in place, so that once the cover is breached, selection and removal of a golf club is an easy matter. Covers for golf bags having a plurality of holes through which individual golf club shafts may extend are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,770,060 (Barlow) and 1,717,959 (Cauffman). However, the golf bag cover known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,770,060 only secures the golf clubs against removal from the golf bag when the golf club heads are placed down within the golf club bag, with the handles of the shafts extending through the locked cover. Use of this security device requires the inconvenience of turning all of the golf clubs over each time the clubs are secured or unsecured in the bag. The golf bag cover of U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,959 involves an ingenious rotating disc which may be merely rotated to securely clamp or unclamp the golf club shaft within the cover. However, the discs of the cover which clamp the golf club shafts in place are metal and contain uniformly sized holes, which may cause the finish of the shafts of some of the clubs to be marred or cut, as the shafts may be of slightly different lengths and slightly different widths at the level at which the shafts are contacted by the discs. Furthermore, since the shafts are not completely uniformed in width, some of the clubs may be tightly clamped within the cover while other clubs may rattle loosely within the holes provided.